Calgary Regional Rail Transit

[YYCguy]

No surprise there, AB HSR benefits the Calgary economic zone, very little national interest, unlike say TCH improvements through BC, which also unsurprisingly didn't make the fed list.

Fair point for sure. I hear you re: TCH! That definitely needs attention in many spots!

I was thinking more in terms of Banff National Park, one of the most important national parks, and unfortunately, a very crowded place (with people and cars). Rail to Banff would take some or many of those vehicles off the highways and from in town and help achieve environmental and climate change goals.

 

[darwink]

unlike say TCH improvements through BC, which also unsurprisingly didn't make the fed list.

That project just needs money.

 

[trtcttc]

Fair point for sure. I hear you re: TCH! That definitely needs attention in many spots!

I was thinking more in terms of Banff National Park, one of the most important national parks, and unfortunately, a very crowded place (with people and cars). Rail to Banff would take some or many of those vehicles off the highways and from in town and help achieve environmental and climate change goals.

I don't think it is a matter of that project not being on the list, but that project is way too early. They haven't determined a route, they're not applying for any approvals. What is the Feds going to help with? The point of the Infrastructure office is to help get things built so they don't get stuck in environmental reviews, and other regulatory issues.

 

[InfrastructureEnthusiast]

That project just needs money.

The project needs will more than money. The feds have no problem making it rain, it just doesn't make it to all the right places..

Spending billions on port expansions of dubious value isn't immediately life saving, but fixing the TCH through BC would be!

 

[darwink]

The project needs will more than money. The feds have no problem making it rain, it just doesn't make it to all the right places..

Spending billions on port expansions of dubious value isn't immediately life saving, but fixing the TCH through BC would be!

Dubious value? The port / terminal leesee is paying for it. Getting on the list is not 'the feds are funding it with tax dollars'.

 

[InfrastructureEnthusiast]

Dubious value? The port / terminal leesee is paying for it. Getting on the list is not 'the feds are funding it with tax dollars'.

Fair enough, although that makes the fed announcement even more of a nothing burger.

"Hey look, were not being needlessly obstructionist" is one of those things to say quietly, not as front page news.. Although maybe that's more media's fail than the gov.

Still got to wondering what they're actually shipping though, the breakdown I found from the port site is OK, but there's still some interesting numbers in there...

 

[trtcttc]

Fair enough, although that makes the fed announcement even more of a nothing burger.

"Hey look, were not being needlessly obstructionist" is one of those things to say quietly, not as front page news.. Although maybe that's more media's fail than the gov.

Still got to wondering what they're actually shipping though, the breakdown I found from the port site is OK, but there's still some interesting numbers in there...

View attachment 682290

It's part a real announcement and part politics. They've set deadlines so needed to announce something, I'm sure they wanted a pipeline and ring of fire on there, but couldn't get it, so they gathered together a bunch of projects all across Canada so they could announce a list. It's a normal part of politics that they announce things that aren't necessarily new, or make an announcement for base annual funding that happens every year.

 

[darwink]

"Hey look, were not being needlessly obstructionist" is one of those things to say quietly, not as front page news.

It isn't needlessly, thats the thing. It costs money to run simultaneous reviews instead of sequential, and resources from the feds to have enough capacity to run things simultaneously.

Before, the goal was lowest risk, lowest dollar cost process. In exchange, it took longer. Now we're realizing the dollar cost of time in the process, and trying out new processes on select projects first. If the new processes work for the select projects, then the entire process can be reformed.

But doing the reforms at the front end, without piloting and building the new as those pilots go, would most likely create new risks not reduce them -- that is what happened to Harper's attempts at reform.

 

[InfrastructureEnthusiast]

It isn't needlessly, thats the thing. It costs money to run simultaneous reviews instead of sequential, and resources from the feds to have enough capacity to run things simultaneously.

Before, the goal was lowest risk, lowest dollar cost process. In exchange, it took longer. Now we're realizing the dollar cost of time in the process, and trying out new processes on select projects first. If the new processes work for the select projects, then the entire process can be reformed.

But doing the reforms at the front end, without piloting and building the new as those pilots go, would most likely create new risks not reduce them -- that is what happened to Harper's attempts at reform.

Thanks for the explanation, makes sense I suppose, at least they are trying to improve.

Although I still think they could have picked some better projects to spotlight.